To contribute to a Roth IRA:You (or your spouse) must have earned income You MAGI must be under the contribution limitBest of Luck with Your Real Estate Investing!

I know my goal is to maximize earnings on a single location, and in a strong market like Denver it will likely continue upwards.

@Jesse Felix if you can embrace the game of "how much money can I save every month", you will position yourself well for not just the first down payment on the first property, but the ability to maximize the opportunities you may find over a longer term.The game of "how much can I save" is great training for the game of "how much can I earn" when hunting and analyzing deals. 

Due to inflation if you owed $1000/month, 30 years from now that would only be the equivalent of $411 worth of actual purchasing power if you assume a 3% rate of inflation.Finally, paying off a loan faster essentially means your money is earning the rate of interest on the mortgage. 

My wife and I have been loaning our hard-earned money privately to the local house flippers for ten years now.

Warning: many financial planners will dismiss real estate altogether, because they cannot earn commissions from it, unlike from selling you annuities or mutual funds.Your Realtor may actually be finding you good properties, as long as your goals are aligned with his.

I am a high earning professional in a high stress job just getting started in my career in my mid 30s.

I am a high earning professional in a high stress job.

You’re RE income is taxed like earned income, right?

Bureau of Labor Statistics: Current Employment Statistics (CES)The Current Employment Statistics (CES) program produces detailed industry estimates of employment, hours, and earnings of workers on payrolls every month.